07-SEP-2013
Henri Goulet leading an insect outing at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden
Part of the Bug Day events at the garden.
03-SEP-2013
Solidago ptarmicoides
This crisply white plant grows in the Backyard Garden rockery bed. At one point it was classified as an aster and older field guides may still have it as Aster ptarmicoides. In more recent times it has been shifted over to the Solidago group. But whatever it is called, it is a lovely native plant that grows in the Ottawa region and deserves to have more of a place in gardens too. Bees and other insects are attracted to it as well.
03-SEP-2013
Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)
There is a great swathe of this lovely native plant in the ash woods at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. We tend to think of asters and goldenrods as being plants of open, sunny places, but there are many that grow in shaded conditions. For adding vivid colour to a dark corner of a garden, zigzag goldenrod is a good plant to use. Once established it will spread relatively slowly to create the kind of large stand you see here. It, along with the next plant, white snakeroot, is another native species that deserves to be better known.
03-SEP-2013
White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)
This tall plant of wooded areas is another native species that flowers well in shaded conditions. This plant spreads well and can put on quite the display, brightening up dark corners of a woodland, or of a garden. This was taken in the ash woods and shows the entire plant. The next photo shows a closeup. Until recently, this plant was known as Eupatorium rugosum, and in older field guides will be listed as such.
03-SEP-2013
White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)
A closer look at the flowers of the snakeroot plant discussed in the previous image.
03-SEP-2013
Striped garden caterpillar (Trichordestra legitima)
This small caterpillar was nestled on a canada thistle leaf. I only noticed it because I was turning over any nettle leaves with holes in them, looking for the green tortoise beetle which feeds on these plants. No beetles, but this caterpillar was a nice find.
03-SEP-2013
Dog-day Cicada exuviae (Tibicen canicularis)
The empty husk or exuviae of a cicada, hanging on a twig of the black maple at the garden. These exuviae are pretty common on trees, and sometimes on other tall structures too! It is surprising how far up the tree the cicada nymphs will crawl. This must have been 7 feet above ground. Some only go a foot or two before they stop. Diane photographed a lovely adult cicada a few days ago and it can be found near the beginning of this blog.
03-SEP-2013
Paper wasp (Polistes dominulus)
This is the European paper wasp, a bit smaller than our native P. fuscatus. They build small round paper nests suspended from a perch such as the side of a bird box, inside a bird box, eaves, sheds, etc. These are amongst the most docile of wasps and it takes a lot of hard work to get yourself stung by one. Over the years I have worked around and next to their small nests and never been stung. Don't confuse these with yellowjackets which are much aggressive to any intruders they perceive to be threatening their nests.
Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa)
A truly beautiful shot by Diane of this quite colourful mantis. In the background you can see the purple flowers of obedient plant. Diane reports that she saw a few interesting insects during her visit to the garden: "A Giant Swallowtail in the BYG, while I was photographing a praying mantis in the buttrfly meadow, a Cicada landed in a obedient plant very close to me. I saw a Summer Azure, Common Ringlets, Cabbage White, Clouded Sulphur and a Green Darner. I was hoping to find the sphinx caterpillar but no such luck. The Goldenrods were full of bumble bees, honey bees and different types of wasps. Also observed: a Systoechus vulgaris, Toxmerus geminatus, Wool carder bee, just to name a few."
31-AUG-2013
Orb-weaver (Neoscona)
A very small orb-weaver, here on the obedient plant. These very pretty spiders are so small that they often go unnoticed. Diane photographed this one.
31-AUG-2013
Hover fly (Toxomerus geminatus)
One of two tiny hover flies, both in the Toxomerus genus, that are common to abundant at the garden, and throughout the region, all summer long. In fact, if you have a garden, you probably have these little hover flies (Syrphidae) as visitors, though due to their size you may not notice them. However, even if you don't see them, their larvae will be hard at work eating aphids in your garden! Hence, these are very beneficial insects.